After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 307

Alice couldn't help but smile, a hint of playful scolding in her voice. “As long as you understand.”

Nestor picked up his teacup and headed upstairs to his study. He noticed Alice watching him as he left, and somehow, that made his heart sink even more.

Was it possible the woman sleeping beside him really wished him harm? Hadn’t he treated her well enough all these years?

When he reached the second floor, Nestor grabbed an empty bottle and quietly poured the tea inside. He sat for a moment, lost in thought, then put on a fresh coat and went back downstairs.

“Alice, something came up. I have to step out for a bit,” he said, handing her the empty cup with just the tea leaves at the bottom. “Can you wash this for me?”

Alice glanced at the cup, saw that he’d finished the tea, and smiled. “Sure, go ahead. Don’t drink too much if you’re going out.”

Nestor gave a quick nod and left right away. As soon as he got in his car, he called Neely, arranging to meet and have the tea tested.

At the hospital, in one of the labs, Nestor handed the bottle over to a technician. He waited outside in the hallway, rubbing his hands together, nerves eating away at him.

Time dragged on, each minute feeling like an hour. Scenes from his years with Alice kept running through his mind. They hadn’t started as soulmates, but that didn’t mean she’d want him dead... right?

He kept telling himself he was just being paranoid. Maybe the tea was nothing but tea.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the lab door swung open. Neely came out, holding a preliminary report, looking more serious than Nestor had ever seen.

“Well?” Nestor asked, voice barely steady.

Neely sat down next to him and handed over the report. “There’s a rare synthetic alkaloid in that tea. It’s pretty much invisible, hardly any taste. But it’s extremely damaging to heart cells. If you keep drinking even a little bit over time, you’ll end up with heart failure. The damage can’t be undone.”

Nestor’s hands shook as he read the report. Even though he’d suspected, seeing the proof right there hit him like a punch to the gut. He felt frozen, like the world had gone cold.

“Nestor, I don’t know who gave you that tea, but whatever you do, never drink it again.” Neely put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Your life comes first.”

Catherine had been in the middle of discussing the lawsuit with Lawrence when the hospital called. She froze.

“What? My dad’s in the ER? I’m on my way.”

She looked up at Lawrence, eyes wide with worry. He grabbed her coat, took her hand, and said, “Let’s go. We’ll be there as fast as we can.”

They hurried to the garage, got in the car, and raced toward Cabinda Hospital.

Soon after, the hospital managed to reach Alice. When she heard the news, her hand started shaking. “My husband’s in the ER? Which hospital? I’ll be there right away.”

***

Over at Waldo’s villa, Shirley kept turning her marriage certificate over in her hands, hardly able to believe it was real. It felt like a dream, but there it was... solid and true.